Our view: Step up our game at the zoo

If this community is going to have a zoo, and that's a question that has been debated for decades, it's important for it to be a good zoo that operates within guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo currently does not have a license from the USDA.

The zoo is trying to renew its license, but it is now in the awkward position of applying as though this were a new facility.

Honestly, that's not all bad.

Thanks to an influx of new residents with business expansions and the popularity of the Twin Cities with the Duck Commander/"Duck Dynasty" tourists, the zoo is being seen with new eyes and by new people.

We think it might be important for city officials, along with representatives of the Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau and local garden clubs, to tour the zoo with a critical eye to the impressions we're making on these new visitors.

They could put together a "tick list" of items that need attending to, along with recommendations for maximizing the experience for our visitors.

We don't want to have a tired, old zoo. The name is Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo, and the appearance should not only reflect well-kept and humane surroundings for the animals, they should also reflect the "gardens" part of the name.

We agree with Mayor Jamie Mayo that it's essential the zoo pass its USDA inspections. But it's also essential that we step up our game to reflect an asset for the community we want to be.

If we want to promote Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo, the gardens need to be inviting and the zoo needs to be interesting.

When we can't do that, we need to close this facility and move on.

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Our view: Step up our game at the zoo

If this community is going to have a zoo, and that's a question that has been debated for decades, it's important for it to be a good zoo that operates within guidelines established by the United